1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the removal of snow, ice, and other debris from vehicles, and particularly to a system for removing snow from vehicles that removes snow, ice and other debris from a flat surface of a vehicle, such as the vehicle's roof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Snow, ice and other debris commonly accumulate on flat vehicle surfaces. Not only does such accumulation increase the overall weight of the vehicle, thus decreasing efficiency, but it must be removed in order to prevent hazards to other drivers. When the vehicle is driven, the ice, snow, and other debris may fly from the vehicle surface and land on the road behind the vehicle, or upon another vehicle, thus creating dangerous conditions.
Due to decreases in efficiency, the necessity of clearing cargo space, and the potential hazards caused by these weather-related conditions, the clearing of snow, ice, and debris is of considerable interest in the trucking and bus industries. Trucking companies and bus lines spend considerable amounts of time and money clearing snow and ice from vehicles after every snowstorm. Due to the great effort involved, operation of the trucks or buses of a large fleet can be delayed significantly after a snowstorm. Furthermore, since snow and ice removal is typically performed manually by workers shoveling from atop the truck bed or bus roof, there is a significant hazard for the workers, who may slip and fall from the raised bed or roof.
Thus, a system for removing snow from vehicles solving the aforementioned problems is desired.